The present invention is directed to a photographic processor having a circular processing drum, and more particularly, to a photographic processor having a circular processing drum with an adjustable width to accommodate different types of film.
Photographic processors come in a variety of shapes and sizes from large wholesale photographic processors to small micro-labs. As photographic processors become more and more technologically sophisticated, there is a continued need to make the photographic processor as user-friendly and as maintenance-free as possible.
Currently available photographic processors have one or more of the following shortcomings: (1) the film processing time is relatively high; (2) some photographic processors, because of their size, require a large amount of space, (3) some photographic processors may require an unacceptable amount of developing solution due to the design of the processing tank; and (4) some photographic processor generate an unacceptable amount of developing solution waste due to the design of the processing tank.
What is needed in the art is a portable photographic processor, which provides exceptional print quality while requiring a minimal number of tasks necessary for an operator to process a roll of film. What is also needed in the art is a portable photographic processor, which is designed to efficiently process a variety of films while minimizing the amount of waste generated during the photographic process.
The present invention addresses some of the difficulties and problems discussed above by the discovery of a novel, compact, and portable photographic processor having an internal drum design, which minimizes the chemicals required to process a roll of film and consequently minimizes the amount of waste generated per roll of film processing. The photographic processor is extremely user-friendly and low maintenance.
The present invention relates to a photographic processor which comprises an adjustable circular processing drum assembly having a first wall, a second wall, a perimeter wall member connecting the first wall to the second wall and extending around a perimeter of the drum, and a horizontally extending axis of symmetry, with the circular drum assembly further comprising a circular film path for film to be processed therein. The perimeter wall member comprises a first portion attached to the first wall and a second portion which overlaps the first portion and is attached to the second wall. A distance between the first and second walls is adjustable by changing an amount of the overlap between the first and second portions of the perimeter wall member between a first overlap amount to accommodate a first type of film in the film path and a second overlap amount which is less that the first overlap amount to accommodate a second type of film in the film path. The processor further comprises a disk positioned inside the processing drum in a plane parallel to both the first wall and the second wall with the disk comprising one or more sets of disk teeth along an outer perimeter of the disk for interengaging with holes along an edge of the first or second type of film.
The present invention further relates to a photographic processor which comprises: an adjustable circular processing drum assembly including a first wall, a second wall, a perimeter wall member connecting the first wall to the second wall and extending around a perimeter of the drum, and a horizontally extending axis of symmetry, with the circular drum assembly further comprising a circular film path for film to be processed therein. The perimeter wall member comprises an adjustable bellows which changes a distance between the first and second walls between a first distance to accommodate a first type of film in the film path and a second distance which is less that the first distance to accommodate a second type of film in the film path. The processor further comprises a disk positioned inside the processing drum in a plane parallel to both the first wall and the second wall. The disk comprises one or more sets of disk teeth along an outer perimeter of the disk for interengaging with holes along an edge of the first or second type of film.
The present invention relates to a photographic processor which comprises an adjustable circular processing drum assembly which includes a first wall, a second wall, a perimeter wall member connecting the first wall to the second wall and extending around a perimeter of the drum, and a horizontally extending axis of symmetry, with the circular drum assembly further comprising a circular film path for film to be processed therein. The processor further comprises a mechanism for adjusting a distance between the first and second walls between a first distance for accommodating a first type of film in the film path and a second distance which is smaller than the first distance for accommodating a second type of film in the film path; and a disk positioned inside the processing drum in a plane parallel to both the first wall and the second wall. The disk comprises one or more sets of disk teeth along an outer perimeter of the disk for interengaging with holes along an edge of the first or second type of film.
The present invention further relates to a method of processing a photographic film which comprises the steps of: changing a width of an adjustable circular processing drum to a first width in accordance with a first type of film to be processed, to accommodate the first type of film; inserting the first type of film into the adjustable circular processing drum; and supplying and discharging processing solution into and from the adjustable processing drum to process the first type of film.
The present invention further relates to a method of processing a photographic film which comprises the steps of: adjusting a width of a circular processing drum between at least first and second widths in accordance with a film to be processed to accommodate the film in a film path in the circular processing drum; inserting the film into the circular processing drum, and supplying and discharging processing solution into and from the processing drum to process the film.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments and the appended claims.